In a significant move that underscores the ascendant allure of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) in China, Maryland-based biotech firm, NextCure, has inked a $745 million partnership with Simcere Pharmaceutical Group. This pivotal deal not only elevates NextCure’s oncology portfolio, but it also mirrors the larger biopharma trend where companies are channeling substantial investments into acquiring assets from burgeoning Chinese biotechs.
In recent years, obesity drugs have been basking in the spotlight, but ADCs are now accelerating to the front of the stage. Classified as an innovative therapeutic approach, ADCs leverage the precision of monoclonal antibodies to deliver cytotoxic drugs directly to cancer cells, sparing healthy ones. This targeted therapy has garnered the attention, and the capital, of major industry players like GSK, Gilead, and Roche, signposting the growing importance of ADCs in the field of oncology.
For context, GSK has bolstered its ADC armory by acquiring ADC technologies from DualityBio and Hansoh Pharma, expanding their oncology repertoire to include gastrointestinal, lung, and sarcoma cancers. Similarly, Gilead has fortified its ADC pipeline with Tubulis’ conjugation technology. Not to be outdone, Roche has staked its claim in the ADC landscape by investing in a Phase I ADC from Innovent for small cell lung cancers. This flurry of activity underscores the burgeoning appeal of ADCs as a promising cancer treatment modality.
In the wake of this ADC renaissance, NextCure’s partnership with Simcere has them poised to develop a novel ADC, SIM0505, for treating solid tumors. The Maryland-based company secures ex-China rights to SIM0505, an ADC that targets CDH6 combined with a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor. In addition, the deal equips NextCure with rights to Simcere’s linker and topoisomerase payload technology, which they plan to utilize in developing another ADC on an unannounced preclinical target.
Simcere’s proprietary payload, as NextCure’s president and CEO, Michael Richman, points out, is a potent cytotoxin with a potentially improved safety and efficacy profile compared to other topoisomerase inhibitors. The promise of such an efficacy profile brings a new wave of optimism to the ADC landscape.
Although NextCure’s stock experienced a dip following the announcement, the long-term value of this partnership should not be underestimated. Simcere has already initiated Phase I dose escalation trials for SIM0505 in China, and NextCure is primed to take the developmental reins in the U.S., with its own Phase I trial slated for the third quarter of 2025.
In summary, this NextCure-Simcere partnership reflects a larger industry trend of ADCs emerging as a compelling approach in oncology. As the biopharmaceutical landscape continues to evolve, so too will the importance of these strategic partnerships, especially as companies look to break new ground in the fight against cancer.
Read more from biospace.com
